Clarinets



Jan. 23, 1962 J. w. RoBBr'Ns CLARINETS Filed March 18, 1959 United States Patent Ofiee .1017398 Patented Jan. 23, k1962 3,017,798 CLARINE'I'S Jack W. Robbins, 6340 N. Wayne Ave., Chicago, Ill. Filed Mar. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 800,224 3 Claims. (Cl. 84-382) This invention relates to improvements in cl-arinets.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved clarinet in which a steadier grip is maintained on the `clarinet while playing the instrument to produce an A'natural to B natural trill and an E natural to F sharp trill.

Another object of this invention i-s to permit the foregoing notes to be performed Without the vigorous training and practice necessary to perform said notes on present day clarinets.

In present day conventional clarinets, A natural to B natural and E natural to F sharp trills -are produced by rapidly moving the index finger of the right hand up and down over the fourth hole while the middle finger is held to close the fifth hole. This unsteadies the instrument and complicates the playing thereof; also, this particular fingering requires a great deal of time and practice to perfect. With my invention I have provided an additional opening in the bottom joint portion of the clarinet which is in yalinement with 'but to the side of the aforementioned conventional fourth hole, and cooperating with said -additional opening is an additional key pad which normally maintains the said additional opening closed. The said additional key pad with the present invention is then operated either by the little finger of the left hand or by the ring finger of the right hand, While maintaining the other five fingers closing the first five holes of the top and bottom joints. This provides a steadier hold on the instrument by allowing both the index finger of the right hand and the middle finger of the right hand to remain down over the con- -ventiona1 fourth and fifth hole 'and `allows the player to use alternately the small finger of the left hand or the ring finger of the right hand for performing the same trill.

The fingering above described is common to both A natural to B natural and E natural to F sharp trills, except that in producing the E natural to F sharp trill the conventional speaker key of the clarinet is opened and the thumb hole is simultaneously closed.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is -a view of a clarinet with the portion of same to which this invention appertains being shown in full lines.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of the bottom joint portion of the clarinet showing the features of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a View partly in section taken on lines 3 3 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is 'an enlarged vie/w of one of the parts.

As is well known, the holes in the top joint 14 are covered with fingers 1, 2 and 3 of the left hand and certain of the keys on the left side of the bottom joint are played with the little finger of the left hand. The holes 4, and 6 in the bottom joint are covered with index, middle and ring fingers of the right hand. The little finger of the right hand controls the remaining four keys on the right side of the lower joint of the clarinet.

Only that portion of the `bottom joint necessary to a description of this invention will be described, it being understood that the remainder of the bottom joint and the other parts of the clarinet remain the same as in the conventional clarinet. r

A new or additional opening 20 is provided in the side 'wall of the bottom joint 16. Said opening 20 is in alignment with but at substantially right angles to the conventional fourth hole 22 played by the index finger of the right hand. Said new opening 20 is adapted to produce the same note as is produced by conventional fourth hole 22.

Rot-atably supported in a conventional .manner on the bottom joint 16 -is the additional rod 24. To support the additional key pad 28 is an arm 26 which is secured to the rod 24. Key pad 28 closes the new opening 20. The key pad 2S is normally maintained in closed position by la spring to close opening 20.

The rod 24 has iixedly secured to it a short arm 30 having an inverted L-shaped end 32 which is adapted to engage a complementary shaped end 34 on arm 36 fixedly supported on a short rod 38. Rod 38 -s suitably and rotatably supported on the bottom joint 16.

Fixedly secured to the short rod 38 is ya finger lever 40 which is yadapted to be operated by the little finger of the left hand. A spring 42 has one end anchored to the rod as at 43 and the opposite end of the spring is yanchored as -at 44 to the post which supports the rod 24 for the purpose of maintaining the rod 24 in a position so that the key pad 28 normally closes the opening 2t). By depressing the finger lever 40 with the little finger of the left hand the short rod 38 will move larm 36 upwardly, thus moving arm 30 upwardly to rotate rod 24 against the tension of the spring 42, thus moving the key pad 23 away from the opening 20 to uncover same.

Fixedly secured to rod 24 adjacent the opposite end of the rod is finger lever 46 to lbe operated by the ring linger of the right hand. By depressing the finger lever 46, rod 24 is rotated so that the key pad 28 thereon uncovers new opening 20. Thus, by depressing lever 40 with the little finger of the left hand or by depressing lever 46 with the ring lfinger of the right hand, the key pad 28 is moved to uncover the new side opening 20, producing the same sound as heretofore produced through conventional fourth hole opening 22 by the index finger of the right hand. When lever 46 is operated by the ring finger of the right hand, key pad 28 will be operated to uncover opening 2f). Lever 40 is not effected thereby since arm 30 overlaps farm 36. By operating lever 40, rod 24 will be operated as previously described.

Holes 48 and Si) wh-ich `are conventionally known as fifth `and sixth holes are conventionally covered by the middle and ring fingers of the right hand.

Prior to this invention, playing on the conventional clarinet to produce A natural and B natural trill it was necessary to rapidly move the index finger of the right hand up and down over fourth hole 22 yand simultaneousv ly keep the fifth nger hole 48 closed by the middle finger. This had serious disadvantages in that the clarinet was left without sufficient support. Also, to accomplish this required an enormous amount of training of the index finger of the right =hand which was very difficult.

To produce the same sound with the present invention the index finger of the right hand is kept down to maintain `conventional fourth nger hole 22 closed and the little finger of the left hand is moved to operate lever 46 which will operate key pad 28 to uncover new opening Ztl, or the lever 46 is operated with the ring finger of the right hand to operate key pad 28. This steadies the instrument by keeping the extra finger on the clarinet. The little finger of the left hand and ring finger of the righ-t hand have greater dexterity than the index finger of the right hand in performing this trill, therefore, the time and effort in perfecting this trill is reduced. With this invention the failure of 'the human element is also reduced.

To produce an E natural to F sharp trill the same procedure is yfollowed except that the speaker key must be opened with the left hand thumb, simultaneously closing the thumb hole.

It will be 4understood that various changes and modifications may be. made `from the foregoing Without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.`

I claim:

1. A clarinet having a conventional Boehm system of fingering, said clarinet having a second F sharp tone hole, said tone hole being closed by a normally closed pad and a control lever extending from said pad to a position adjacent the E tone hole.

2. A clarinet having a conventional Boehm system of lingering, said clarinet having a second F sharp tone hole, said tone hole being closed by a normally closed 15 2,867,146

pad andy a `control lever extending from said pad to a position yadjacent the said F sharp tone hole.

3. A clarinet having a conventional Boehm system of ngering, said clarinet having la second F sharp tone hole, said tone hole being closed by la normally closed pad Vand a pair of control levers cooperating with said pad to open same, one of'said control levers being adjacent the E tone hole and the other of said levers being ladjacent said F sharp tone hole.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,219 Price Sept. 30, 1919 1,594,107 Potter July 27, 1926 2,183,423 Christensen Dec. 12, 19:39 2,791,145 `Christensen May 7-, 1957 Mazzeo Ian.` 6r, 195,9 

